Thinking about downloading the new operating system for your iPhone? Yea, me too. Here's how to do it:
1. Check for the newest version of iTunes - you must have version 10.5 in order to download the new iOS5
2. Connect your phone to your computer.
3. Wait.
So what's new about the iOS5?
iOS 5 Software Update
This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:
- Notifications
- Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center (Notification Center? No more annoying Pop-Up notifications!)
- New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen
- View notifications from lock screen
- Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app
- iMessage
- Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users
- Track messages with delivery and read receipts (Ooooh! Stalk-central like BBM!)
- Group messaging and secure encryption
- Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi*
- Newsstand (Maybe I should look into some subscriptions because I don't know what this is.)
- Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen
- Displays the cover of the latest issue
- Background downloads of new issues
- Reminders for managing to do lists
- Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook (FINALLY!!!!!!!!)
- Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
- Built-in support for Twitter
- Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube
- Add location to any tweet
- View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts
- Camera improvements for devices with cameras
- Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
- Volume Up button to take a picture (WOW)
- Optional grid lines to line up shots
- Pinch to zoom in the preview screen
- Swipe to camera roll from preview screen
- Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock
- Photo improvements for devices with cameras (THESE ARE SO DOPE!)
- Crop and rotate
- Red eye removal
- One tap enhance
- Organize photos into albums
- Mail improvements (I'M SO GIDDY OVER THESE!!!!)
- Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts
- Indentation control
- Drag to rearrange names in address fields
- Flag messages
- Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread (ESPECIALLY THIS!!!!)
- Customize mail alert sounds (AND THIS!!!!)
- S/MIME (WTF IS THIS???)
- Calendar improvements
- Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch
- Tap to create an event
- View and add event attachments
- Game Center improvements
- Use personal photos for your Game Center account
- Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends
- Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends
- Discover new games with custom game recommendations
- AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
- Multitasking Gestures for iPad
- Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen
- Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar
- Swipe left or right to switch between apps
- On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant
- Software updates available over the air without tethering
- iCloud support
- iTunes in the Cloud
- Photo Stream
- Documents in the Cloud
- Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history
- Backup
- Contacts, Calendar, and Mail
- Find My iPhone
- Redesigned Music app for iPad
- Hourly weather forecast
- Real-time stock quotes (NOW I CAN TRACK MY MILLIONS)
- Wireless sync to iTunes
- Keyboard improvements
- Split keyboard for iPad
- Improved autocorrection accuracy (TOO BAD FOR THOSE WEBSITES THAT MAKE FUN OF THESE MISTAKES)
- Improved Chinese and Japanese input (THIS WILL COME IN HANDY)
- New Emoji keyboard
- Personal dictionary for autocorrection (SO NOW "ZLATA" WILL BE UNDERSTOOD??)
- Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words
- Accessibility improvements
- Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
- Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone
- New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices
- Option to speak a selection of text
- Custom element labeling for VoiceOver
- Exchange ActiveSync improvements
- Wirelessly sync tasks
- Mark messages as flagged, read or unread
- Improved offline support
- Save a new contact from a GAL service
- More than 1,500 new developer APIs
- Bug fixes
Products compatible with this software update:
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4
- iPhone 3GS
- iPad 2
- iPad
- iPod touch (4th generation)
- iPod touch (3rd generation)
Apparently, this thing will also refill your toilet paper roll when you're low.